Full calorie frozen carbonated beverages (FCBs) are known in the art and have been produced for years. FCBs are produced via devices that freeze a mixture of ingredients including syrup, water and carbon dioxide in a mixing chamber. The mixture freezes on the inner surface of the mixing chamber, which is surrounded by a helical coil through which a refrigerant passes. A rotating shaft is disposed inside the chamber which has a plurality of outwardly projecting blades that scrape the mixture off the inside wall of the mixing chamber. Once the carbonated beverage is in the desired frozen state, the product is dispensed from the chamber through a product valve.
The temperature and viscosity of the ingredients within the mixing chamber are maintained by a control system that controls the refrigeration system. Product quality is controlled through the balance of ingredients as well as pressures and temperatures within the chamber. The chemical properties of FCBs also play an important part in the normal functioning of FCB dispensing devices and the quality of the FCB products.
Current FCB products are limited to full calorie FCBs. Caloric products contain common sugars, such as sucrose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which are used as sweeteners at concentrations of ca. 10% (w/v). These sugars play an important part in the freezing point depression of FCBs. Under normal operating conditions of FCB machines, the addition of caloric sweeteners depresses the freezing point of the product making them dispensable in a slush-like state. By contrast, a diet beverage, or non-caloric syrup contains no common sugars such as sucrose or HFCS, and thus lacks a freezing point depressant. Without a modified freezing point, diet syrup would freeze into blocks of ice in FCB machines rather than attaining the slush-like property found in caloric FCBs and necessary for proper dispensing.
Freezing point is a colligative property and the freezing point of a solution depends on the number of solute molecules present, not on the nature of the solute. Non-caloric ingredients, such as salts or acids, could be added to diet syrup to provide freezing point depression, thus allowing slush to be obtained. However, these ingredients result in a salty or sour product affecting the taste and quality of the beverage. A proposed alternative to the addition of acids or salts would be to increase the amount of non-caloric sweeteners e.g., aspartame, saccharin, or a mixture of these to cause freezing point depression. However, due to the potency of these sweeteners, the taste and quality of the resulting diet FCBs will again be unacceptably altered.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the production of diet FCBs through the use of freezing point modifiers. Freezing point modifiers include 1) one or more Sugar MNSs alone or in combination with salts and/or acids, and 2) one or more sugars or sugar alcohols in combination with one or more salts, acids and/or Sugar MNSs. In both cases, the freezing point modifier will usually be used in combination with a high-potency non-caloric sweetener or mixture of such sweeteners. Reduced calorie and diet FCBs according to the present invention can achieve the necessary slushy state without unacceptable alterations of the taste and quality of the diet syrup.
Sugar MNSs have been used as low calorie sweeteners in a variety of food products. A sugar MNS is a non-caloric or reduced calorie polyhydric alcohol with molecular weight ranging from ca. 100-1000.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,516, by Knog-Chan et al. discloses the use of polyols in the production of reduced calorie chocolate confections. Knog-Chan et al. substitute a nondigestible polyol fatty acid polyester for the natural fat. Knog-Chan et al. also disclose the use of an artificial sweetener plus a partially or wholly nondigestible carbohydrate bulking agent as substitutable for sugar.
European Patent Application NO. 236,288 to Bernhardt discloses edible, wholly or partially nondigestible intermediate melting polyol fatty acid polyesters having certain rheological properties (e.g., viscosity, liquid/solid stability) at body temperatures. These intermediate melting polyol polyesters are disclosed as partial or total fat replacements in food products, including ice cream and other fat-containing frozen desserts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,734, to Whelan et al., discloses a low calorie frozen dessert product, which comprises from about 2 to about 20% fat of which about 30 to 100% is edible, wholly or partially nondigestible polyol fatty acid polyesters.
Based on the above, it is clear that polyol polyesters have only been used in the area of frozen food products as fat substitutes. These polyols reduce the caloric content of the food product by fat substitution.
Known sugar MNSs for use as low calorie sweeteners include erythritol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, fructooligosaccharide sweeteners and xylitol. Again, these Sugar MNSs are used to reduce the caloric content of food, but in this instance, they replace sugar and other sweeteners. The following examples describe the known manner in which Sugar MNSs have generally been used.
Erythritol is a known sweetener for use in the production of reduced calorie food products.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,771, to Rapaille et al. discloses a composition suitable for use as the sweetener in a reduced calorie food product. The sweetener includes 5 to 50% by weight erythritol, 30 to 80% by weight sorbitol and 5 to 25% by weight glucose oligomer of DE 10 to 30.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,212, to De Sadeleer et al. discloses a method for producing spraying dried erythritol. This free-flowing erythritol powder is disclosed for use as a sweetener preferably in combination with a synthetic sweetener such as aspartame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,850, to Kondou discloses a low-calorie compounded cocoa composition including cocoa powder, erythritol, and a sweetener.
Maltitol and xylitol are other Sugar MNSs that are commonly used in reduced calorie food products to replace full calorie sweeteners.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,083,527 and 6,071,500 to Thistle disclose a candy-like confection which minimizes tooth decay. The confection preferably includes xylitol as the natural sweetener and calcium hydroxide which increases the pH level of the saliva in the mouth to reduce the presence of bacteria.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,400 to Olinger et al. discloses compositions containing a combination of xylitol and maltitol, which is claimed to provide a synergistic sweetening effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,514, to Gonze et al. discloses a process for producing a lozenge which includes a sweetener of, for example, erythritol or maltitol, and a binding agent.
The final Sugar MNS that has been noted for general use as a sugar substitute is lactitol.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,516,763 and 5,672,589 to Heikkila et al. disclose crystalline lactitol monohydrate as a bulk sweetener for the total or partial replacement of sucrose, in dietetic products, confectionery, bakery products, cereals, desserts, jams, beverages, chocolate, chewing gum and ice-cream. In Heikkila et al., lactitol is disclosed as a fat replacement system in frozen products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,554 to Olinger et al. discloses an improved frozen dessert made without sucrose or corn syrup solids. The frozen dessert is sweetened by lactitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies associated with the production of reduced calorie and diet FCBs through the use of freezing point depressants including sugars in combination with non-caloric sweeteners, Sugar MNSs, salts, acids and mixtures thereof, particularly erythritol, to produce reduced calorie frozen carbonated beverages. While Sugar MNSs have been used as reduced calorie alternative sweeteners in a variety of food products, including frozen dessert products, Sugar MNSs have never been considered for their freezing point depression in the production of frozen beverages.